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State Rep. Brandon McGee (D) of the 5th Assembly District for Hartford &…

July 30, 2013|Julia Winer, CREC, Hartford

On June 27, CREC's Transition to Employment Services graduated its first cohort of students from the General Educational Development (GED)-Construction training course. The program is run in partnership with the CREC Construction department and serves at-risk youth in the Greater Hartford area between the ages of 17 and 21.

Participating students receive specialized construction training while preparing to take the GED exam. The tuition-free program includes academic classroom instruction, construction skills certifications, and hand-on experience through paid internships at local construction sites. Upon completing the program, the goal is for students to pass the GED exam and gain employment or for them to transition into a higher level of education or training.

Over 60 family and friends of the 13 graduates attended the graduation ceremony in Hartford. The audience was addressed by guest speaker State Representative Brandon McGee (D) of the 5th Assembly District of Hartford and Windsor, and keynote speaker Rene Carrasquillo, president of Castle Concrete Corporation. Two graduates spoke passionately about their experience, including how the program had helped them to reassess their personal and career goals.

The first graduating class has had notable successes throughout the program. Two students have received their GED diploma, while a third has passed major portions of the exam. Most students became certified in CPR, First Aid, Blueprint Reading, OSHA 10, and Forklift, and all students received their Aerial Lift certification. Upon graduation two local organizations have hired graduates for employment. Four students have been employed by Castle Concrete of Northford, and one student has been hired by Energy Efficiencies Solutions of Windsor.

Area companies have enthusiastically supported the program since its infancy. Five construction managers and contractors hosted students on-site for internship - Bartlett Brainard Eacott, Castle Concrete, Consigli, Cutter Enterprises, and Downes Construction; FIP Construction loaned equipment free of charge for the Fork Lift and Aerial Lift certification training sessions; and two retailers donated construction tools and funds to help supply students with necessary equipment - Stanley Black & Decker of New Britain and Home Depot of Glastonbury.

Due to its success, the program's funder Capital Workforce Partners has agreed to extend the grant in order to offer another program to eligible students beginning in August 2013. Staples of Glastonbury has already generously donated funds to support the program's second cohort of students.

For more information about Transition to Employment's GED-Construction program, or to apply for a future cohort, please contact Donna Heim at 860-509-3643 or dheim@crec.org.